Welcome to Pendleton, SC!

Take time this fall to visit Pendleton, a small town in northwestern Anderson County known for historic plantation homes and buildings, a busy entertainment district, agricultural museum, and outdoor scenery.

The Village Green
Pendleton’s Village Green is the downtown public square. It is surrounded by a business area full of shops and restaurants, and is the site for many of the town’s events, like the Pendleton Farmer’s Market on Saturdays. Historic buildings on the square include Farmer’s Hall and Hunter’s Store. Farmers’ Hall was constructed in 1826-1828 and has been utilized through the years as a courthouse, post office, and finally as the Farmer’s Society Meeting Hall. It now houses the 1826 Bistro on the Green restaurant (see below). Hunter’s Store was a busy General Store back in 1850 that now headquarters the Lake Hartwell Country regional tourism agency, and the Pendleton’s Visitors Center. Group tours of the Pendleton Historic District begin at Hunter’s Store.

Take to Nature!
Take advantage of the cooler temperatures this time of year with a visit to Lake Hartwell, one of the Southeast’s largest and most popular recreation areas. The man-made lake connects Georgia and South Carolina, and is easily accessible. Popular activities include boating, swimming, fishing, hiking, biking and camping. Twin Lakes Campsites, a spacious waterfront campground in Pendleton, has 102 available campsites, most with amazing views of the water.

Historic Plantations
Pendleton’s Ashtabula Plantation was built between 1825-1828. It includes an historic, two-story clapboard house situated on ten acres of land. The nearby Woodburn Plantation was built in 1830. Woodburn’s four-story plantation house is housed on twelve acres, and the grounds include the Moorhead Cabin/Cookhouse, Victorian Carriage House, and a two-room slave/tenant cabin, birthplace of African-American activist and reformer, Jane Edna Hunter. Both the Ashtabula and Woodburn plantations were owned by several influential SC families before being taken over by the Pendleton Historic Foundation in the 1960s, and both are now listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Public and private tours. 864.646.7249. Ashtabula and Woodburn Plantation Tours | Sunday afternoons 2-5pm.

Agricultural HistoryThe Bart Garrison Agricultural Museum of South Carolina is dedicated to the interpretation and preservation of SC’s agricultural heritage, in all of its forms. Exhibits focus on the history as well as future of agricultural practices, and the museum hosts workshops, classes and demonstrations on agriculture-related skills and techniques. Permanent Exhibits include The Barn, The Field, The House, The Gin, The Future of Agriculture, and the STEM Lab. BGAMSC: 120 History Lane, Pendleton | 864.646.7271 Thu-Friday 12-5pm | Sat 10am-3pm (Except Oct. 28, Nov. 11 & Nov. 18) | Sundays Oct. 29, Nov. 12 & Nov. 19 from 2-5pm

Lunch | The Village Bakery & Cafe
Casual eatery menu includes delicious sandwiches on artisan bread that is baked fresh all day long, a crustless Quiche of the Day, soups and salads, Build-Your-Own Burgers and combo baskets. Stop by the bakery for wonderful pastries and cookies for dessert! Wed-Sat 11am-3pm | Sun Brunch Buffet: 10:30am-1:30pm. 108 E Main St. 864.646.5800